Jaguar XJ13

2010-09-02T20:32:17Z

JagEnthusiast: /* Launch of Series 3 E-Type */ New evidence has come to light shedding doubt on the claims that the 4-year-old wheel had disintegrated. A slow puncture had been plugged for the final laps of filming.

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:28660 1.jpg|250px|1966 Jaguar XJ13]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[Jaguar]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1966<br>1 produced
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| Sports car
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| Roadster
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 176.5 in (4483 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 73.0 in (1854 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 38.0 in (965 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 96.0 in (2438 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 2,478 lb (1124 kg)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| five-speed manual
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 5.0 L [[DOHC]] V12
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 502 bhp @ 7,600 rpm <br>386 lb ft @ 6,300 rpm
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Competition
| [[Ford GT40]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Designer
| [[Malcolm Sayer]]
|}

The '''XJ13''' was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at [[Le Mans]] in the mid-1960s.

==Development==
Jaguar had considered the manufacture of a V12 engine as far back as 1955, initially for racing purposes, and then developing a road-going version, unlike the XK which was designed as a production engine and later pressed into service for racing. The engine design was essentially two XK 6-cylinder engines on a common crankshaft with an aluminium cylinder block, although there were differences in the inlet porting, valve angles and combustion chamber shape. The first engine ran in 1964.

The idea of a mid-engined prototype was first mooted in 1960, but it was not until 1965 that construction began, with the first car running by March 1966. The aluminium body was designed by [[Malcolm Sayer]], the aerodynamicist responsible for the Jaguar [[Jaguar C-Type|C-type]], [[Jaguar D-Type|D-type]], [[Jaguar E-Type|E-type]] and [[Jaguar XJS|XJS]], who used his [[Bristol Aeroplane Company]] background to build it using techniques borrowed from the aircraft industry.

The XJ13 had [[MR_layout|mid-engine]] format with the 5.0 litre [[V12]] engine mounted behind the driver, and a ZF [[Transaxle]] driving the rear wheels. Suspension was similar to that of the E-Type.

The development of the XJ13, although treated seriously by the designers, was never a priority for company management, and became less so following the 1966 merger with [[British Motor Corporation|BMC]]. By that time [[Ford]] had developed the 7.0 litre [[Ford GT40|GT40]], and so the XJ13 was considered obsolete by the time the prototype was complete. The prototype was tested at [[Motor Industry Research Association|MIRA]] and at Silverstone, which confirmed that it would have required considerable development to make it competitive. The prototype was put into storage and no further examples were made.

==Launch of Series 3 E-Type==
In 1971 the [[Jaguar E-Type#Series_3_.281971-1974.29|Series 3 E-type]] was about to be launched with [[Jaguar_V12_engine|Jaguar's first production V12 engine]]. The XJ13 was taken out of storage to be filmed at [[Motor Industry Research Association|MIRA]] for the E-type publicity video. Unfortunately, a rear tyre burst at high speed during a final high-speed run, the car rolled heavily and was nearly destroyed. Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis was fortunately unharmed. The wreck of the car was put back into storage.

Some years later, the car was rebuilt, to a specification similar to the original, using the body jigs made for its original construction. The car is now displayed in the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection.

==See also==

{{Jaguar}}

==External links==
* [http://www.jdht.com/jdht_collection/1966JAGUARXJ13.html XJ13 page at the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust]
* [http://www.jaguar-enthusiasts.org.uk/jaguar-xj13.html Jaguar Enthusiasts: XJ13]
* [http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/07/27-million-jaguar-xj13-le-mans-race-car.html $27 Million Jaguar XJ13 Le Mans Race Car to run at Bradford Classic]
* [http://www.xj13.eu A personal blog containing unpublished and original material on the XJ13]

Jaguar XJ13

2010-06-06T07:19:13Z

JagEnthusiast: /* External links */

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#fff; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#996; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" | [[Image:28660 1.jpg|250px|1966 Jaguar XJ13]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:#996; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 | '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal; background:#ddb;" | [[Jaguar]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Production
| 1966<br>1 produced
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Class
| Sports car
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Body Style
| Roadster
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Length
| 176.5 in (4483 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Width
| 73.0 in (1854 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;
| Height
| 38.0 in (965 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Wheelbase
| 96.0 in (2438 mm)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Weight
| 2,478 lb (1124 kg)
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Transmission
| five-speed manual
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Engine
| 5.0 L [[DOHC]] V12
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Power
| 502 bhp @ 7,600 rpm <br>386 lb ft @ 6,300 rpm
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Competition
| [[Ford GT40]]
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#f0f0f0;"
| Designer
| [[Malcolm Sayer]]
|}

The '''XJ13''' was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at [[Le Mans]] in the mid-1960s.

==Development==
Jaguar had considered the manufacture of a V12 engine as far back as 1955, initially for racing purposes, and then developing a road-going version, unlike the XK which was designed as a production engine and later pressed into service for racing. The engine design was essentially two XK 6-cylinder engines on a common crankshaft with an aluminium cylinder block, although there were differences in the inlet porting, valve angles and combustion chamber shape. The first engine ran in 1964.

The idea of a mid-engined prototype was first mooted in 1960, but it was not until 1965 that construction began, with the first car running by March 1966. The aluminium body was designed by [[Malcolm Sayer]], the aerodynamicist responsible for the Jaguar [[Jaguar C-Type|C-type]], [[Jaguar D-Type|D-type]], [[Jaguar E-Type|E-type]] and [[Jaguar XJS|XJS]], who used his [[Bristol Aeroplane Company]] background to build it using techniques borrowed from the aircraft industry.

The XJ13 had [[MR_layout|mid-engine]] format with the 5.0 litre [[V12]] engine mounted behind the driver, and a ZF [[Transaxle]] driving the rear wheels. Suspension was similar to that of the E-Type.

The development of the XJ13, although treated seriously by the designers, was never a priority for company management, and became less so following the 1966 merger with [[British Motor Corporation|BMC]]. By that time [[Ford]] had developed the 7.0 litre [[Ford GT40|GT40]], and so the XJ13 was considered obsolete by the time the prototype was complete. The prototype was tested at [[Motor Industry Research Association|MIRA]] and at Silverstone, which confirmed that it would have required considerable development to make it competitive. The prototype was put into storage and no further examples were made.

==Launch of Series 3 E-Type==
In 1971 the [[Jaguar E-Type#Series_3_.281971-1974.29|Series 3 E-type]] was about to be launched with [[Jaguar_V12_engine|Jaguar's first production V12 engine]]. The XJ13 was taken out of storage to be filmed at [[Motor Industry Research Association|MIRA]] for the E-type publicity video. Unfortunately, the magnesium wheels had suffered from internal corrosion and one disintegrated at speed, the car rolled heavily and was nearly destroyed. Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis was fortunately unharmed. The wreck of the car was put back into storage.

Some years later, the car was rebuilt, to a specification similar to the original, using the body jigs made for its original construction. The car is now displayed in the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection.

==See also==

{{Jaguar}}

==External links==
* [http://www.jdht.com/jdht_collection/1966JAGUARXJ13.html XJ13 page at the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust]
* [http://www.jaguar-enthusiasts.org.uk/jaguar-xj13.html Jaguar Enthusiasts: XJ13]
* [http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/07/27-million-jaguar-xj13-le-mans-race-car.html $27 Million Jaguar XJ13 Le Mans Race Car to run at Bradford Classic]
* [http://www.xj13.eu A personal blog containing unpublished and original material on the XJ13]

Wikicars - User contributions [en]

Jaguar XJ13

Jaguar XJ13